


Close to Closing

by rogueshadows



Series: Co-operation [1]
Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Grocery Store, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, Bad Flirting, Crushes, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-18 13:57:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16996308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rogueshadows/pseuds/rogueshadows
Summary: Luke runs a late night errand to the grocery store for Han and finds himself faced with the object of his affections: beautiful, completely unattainable, store manager Cassian.





	Close to Closing

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to ANTchan for beta'ing and to the entire Rogue One discord for cheerleading!

“Please,” Han pleads, all but pouting over at Luke, leaving him no choice but to actually respond.

“Really? You need cheese curls _now?_ Couldn’t you have thought of this before ten at night?” Luke complains, knowing full well already that he’ll wind up giving in. He hopes maybe if he draws out Han’s request enough he’ll get distracted or decide to raid the fridge instead. Han rolls onto his back on the couch, pouting in Luke’s direction, looking almost laughably pleading.

Han had been home from his trip for a few hours, and in that time he’d already succeeded in getting impressively stoned. Luke hadn’t taken him up on the offer to join in, instead trying to actually focus on the episode of X-Files they’d tuned into while Han murmured to himself about conspiracy theories. If he could distract Han long enough maybe he can just catch the ending...

“C’mon Luke, I’d go myself but I can’t drive like this. I’ll owe you one, just take the twenty from my wallet,” Han begs again, kicking lightly at Luke’s thigh from his sprawled position.

Luke still really wants to say no, wants to find out what is going on with Scully and the abductions, but knows Han will make it a miserable time if he’s not appeased. He sighs, knowing there are other reasons to hit up the grocery store while he’s at it. The fact that their food was running low aside from the fresh produce he’d brought from the farm. Han would let them both live on boxed mac and cheese for eternity if the shopping was left to him.

When the commercial break starts, Luke forces himself to get up from his comfortable position on the couch. “You do owe me,” Luke replies, grabbing the money and keys to Han’s van. “And don’t think you’re getting change back!”

Han grumbles and Luke ignores him, hoping he can make it with enough time to get what he needs before the store closes. It’s not a long drive down the road into the town center. As much of a town center as there is, at least. The rest of the stores have been closed for hours now, the only light in sight coming from the wide windows of the grocery store, the blue neon sign above flickering the name _Chirrut’s Co-Op Market_.

Luke pulls the van into a spot and peers through the front window, relieved to see there are a few people still milling around inside. His friend Jyn is there, looking bored in her empty lane and no doubt itching to leave.

Luke’s eyes flit toward the customer service desk innocently and his heart speeds to see Cassian is there as well, the object of his terrible and deeply unrequited crush. Luke gives himself a moment to breathe, straightening out his shirt fitfully when he gets out of the van. He thanks his stars that Han had been too burnt out to join him, knowing he’d only have teased Luke relentlessly over the nerves he can’t hide. 

When they did shop together, Han would always try to goad Luke into making a move. There was _no way_ that was happening. Cassian didn’t deserve to be bothered at work and besides there was no way he’d be interested in Luke in the first place. He was gorgeous and entirely out of Luke’s league. Not even taking into consideration the fact that he didn’t know Luke _existed_.

From what Luke could tell about Cassian, from the little everyone seemed to know, was that he was very private and kept to himself a lot, living alone just at the outskirts of town. Ever since he’d shown up there, nearly a year ago, rumors had swirled beyond that, questioning what could have possibly possessed him to move to their small town out of the blue. Most bets were on him fleeing a life of crime, witness protection, or even espionage. Luke didn’t give much credence to any of them, wishing people wouldn’t jump to such lofty conclusions when they didn’t know someone.

Even those who worked with him didn’t know about his past. Jyn only offered the slightest insight; that he was a tight ass to work for and that his blue pickup truck was pristine the one time she’d been in it. Despite her disparaging remarks, she seemed fond of Cassian, always nudging Luke to _‘say something, already’_.

Luke isn’t so confident. He knows getting so caught up on someone he hardly knows is ridiculous, that getting nervous about going to the _grocery store_ only makes it more embarrassing. Shaking himself of his hopeless thoughts, he heads into the store, focusing instead on what he needs to grab; milk at least, a loaf of bread, some cereal and the damn cheese curls. He gets the things together quickly enough as well as a few more staples, grabbing ice cream for himself at the last minute because it’s Han’s money anyway. 

He goes to the front with his purchases to find Jyn looking more distracted than usual. He follows her gaze down the canned vegetable aisle where Bodhi, the new night stock guy, is unloading a pallet. Well, then. Luke clears his throat pointedly and Jyn startles, putting on her fake customer service smile. When she realizes it’s him it shifts into a real one.

“Hey Jyn,” Luke greets her, setting his basket on the counter with a smile, tilting his head in the direction Jyn had been so focused on, teasing mostly because to see her crushing was something rare. “See you’re working hard.”

She doesn’t give him the satisfaction of acting embarrassed, instead shooting him an impish look of her own, the one he knows means trouble.

“You really want to press that, Skywalker? Because I know you've noticed a certain manager here tonight, all by his lonesome at customer service. Maybe we need a price check?” She reaches for the phone attached to her aisle as if to pick it up. Luke’s heart jolts. “Hopeless blonde in lane 3...”

“You wouldn’t!” Luke blurts anxiously, breathing in relief when she grins and pulls her hand back.

“I might have to if you never do anything about it.”

“Jyn,” Luke sighs, taking things out of his cart. 

Jyn scans them absently, none the less focused on torturing Luke. “Really though, are you going to talk to him tonight?”

“Only to complain about you,” Luke huffs, helping to bag up his own purchases.

“Whatever it takes. He’d probably be less annoyed with me if he got-”

Luke flusters at the clear innuendo she has ready, shushing that particular line of thought. “He’s not even that far away! Do you really want to lose this job?”

It’s an empty excuse. Both of them well aware of how much Cassian lets Jyn get away with as she doesn’t cause any real problems, knowing she works hard despite her attitude. Most of the time, at least, when she’s not trying to embarass Luke. 

“I was just going to say it might be nice if he _got out_. What were _you_ thinking?” She blinks innocently throwing the bread on top of the bag in front of Luke. 

“You’re the worst, Jyn, I’m uninviting you from Friendsgiving.” Luke hands over the money and grabs the bag while he waits for change. Unfortunately, Jyn knows there’s not any real weight behind the threat.

“Please, Han would riot. Who else would drink him under the table?” She hands back a few bills and Luke shoves them into his pocket without really looking. 

“Such a noble holiday duty,” Luke jokes, ignoring how amused she still looks that she’d riled him, hoping she’ll get bored of it someday. “I’ll see you around before then anyway, but please promise to bring at least one real food...the rotisserie chicken incident was too pathetic.”

“I suppose I can promise that, considering where I work. Now get home to the missus and let me go back to my boredom.” Jyn shoos him away. 

Luke rolls his eyes but goes, holding back a jibe about how she’s probably excited to go back to looking at Bodhi. Her vengeance just wouldn’t be worth it.

Luke puts the bags in the passenger seat and pulls Han’s remaining money out of his pocket to uncrumple it where he’d stuffed it in hurriedly, not wanting to forget about it and lose it in the wash. His brow furrows at the sight of a twenty dollar bill where a one should be. _Dammit Jyn._ Luke sighs, getting out to go turn the money in so she won’t get in trouble.

To his further annoyance, she’s not at her register when he gets back, despite the fact that the store is open for another fifteen minutes. He’s about to just place the money on top of the till and let her figure it out when a voice comes close beside him.

“Can I help you?” Cassian asks, his voice is low and warm and Luke feels his face flush in recognition.

“Oh, um,” Luke startles and feels stupid, turning to face Cassian. “Jyn just gave me back the wrong change.It was my own fault really, I was talking to her. Just wanted to be honest and turn it in,” he says placing the twenty down on the counter. Cassian’s brow furrows and he takes a breath, shaking his head, expression somewhere between put out and amused.

“I’m...sorry for the inconvenience. Let me get you the right change,” Cassian insists in a professional sounding voice, sliding past Luke to go behind the register.

“It’s really not a big deal, it was only a dollar,” Luke says, ready to turn and get out of Cassian’s beautiful dark tousled hair. But Cassian is already pressing buttons and opening the cash drawer, not leaving Luke much choice but to wait.

“It’s no trouble,” Cassian says, placing the twenty back where it’s meant to be, unbanding a stack of ones. “You find everything okay?”

“Yeah, just picking up a few things, which I only seem to remember when the fridge is already empty. Still haven’t gotten used to the whole _‘living in my own apartment’_ thing, I guess,” Luke rambles. He knows how juvenile he must sound the moment he says it, nevertheless Cassian smiles back. The sight alone is enough to make Luke believe, for a second, that maybe he won’t make an entire fool of himself after all.

“You’ll get the hang of it,” Cassian says, pressing the dollar into Luke’s hand.

“Thanks,” Luke says, feeling ridiculous at the way his heart beats faster when their fingers touch, not wanting the interaction to end just yet. He takes his wallet out and slides the cash back in. “I hope Jyn won’t be in trouble. I really was distracting her.”

Cassian leans against the counter, his hands resting at the edge, looking straight at Luke.

“I’d be distracted too,” Cassian says, his voice quiet and easy. Until the words seem to catch up with him. Cassian’s cheeks flush in a way that’s as distracting as it is baffling.

“You...would?” Luke blinks, sure he must be imagining things. Things like Cassian Andor very possibly _flirting_ with him. Luke doesn’t know what to say in response and, after an awkward beat of silence, the tentative smile disappears from Cassian’s face, just as quickly as it came. His posture stiffens and he shuts the cash drawer, no longer meeting Luke’s eyes.

“I mean,” Cassian falters. “All set here. Goodnight Luke.” Cassian extricates himself from the register, all but rushing back to the customer service desk. Luke nearly wants to go after him because, _what?_

“Goodnight,” Luke calls back dumbly, unsure of what to make of the interaction. He walks out of the store, half convinced that it must have been a joke. He had been the one that went quiet and made things awkward. Still, there was something in the way Cassian looked at him… He cut off the thought, not wanting to get too far ahead of himself, to hope for too much.

Maybe next time Luke would get up the nerve to flirt back and find out. He climbs into the Falcon and heads for home, knowing one thing for certain, he’s _never_ talking about this with Han.

\---

When Luke leaves the store Cassian lets out a soft curse at himself and at Jyn for forcing the interaction. There was no way she handed over a twenty by accident. The whole thing reeked of meddling. Cassian really wishes she had never caught him looking at Luke in the first place. 

_It wasn’t like it was the first time he’d noticed Luke, just the first time he’d let himself stare. Jyn wolf whistled across the store, the sound drawing Cassian’s attention in the first place, to the well tailored black and yellow racing gear Luke wore all too well._

_Luke was there to pick up Jyn, as he often did, leaning half across her counter to scold her._

_“You’re going to make me late for my own Halloween party!” Luke protested. She rolled her eyes and waved him off, telling him to go find the salsa she liked while she finished off her shift. Cassian tried to be subtle, but the outfit had him short circuiting and, with a lack of customers to bother him, he couldn’t help but let his gaze linger while Luke mulled over tortilla chip options at the end cap._

_What he hadn’t anticipated, perhaps foolishly, was Jyn. Her shift wasn’t even meant to be over when she appeared beside him, clearing her throat pointedly and startling him._

_Cassian mustered a glare but knew it would hardly be enough to dissuade her, the treacherously delighted look on her face entirely too knowing._

_He would never hear the end of this._

It had only been a week since then and she’d managed to mention Luke ‘casually’ about a hundred times to him already. It was a nuisance, apparently all leading up to the present disaster. He’s mad at her for it but more frustrated with himself. Blaming it on a lack of sleep and the hour can do nothing to undo the awkward attempt at actually taking her advice.

 _‘I’d be distracted too?’...What the hell, Andor?_ He plays over the words in his head, cringing. Luke had looked completely taken aback by the comment, his confused response more mortifying than if he’d shot Cassian down outright. Retreating was the only option, hoping against hope, that maybe Luke would forget about the whole thing.

The truth is, Cassian hardly knows Luke, outside of the fact that just everything about him is bright. The way Jyn makes him laugh when he visits the store, the way he looks when he’s riding his motorcycle around town, even the way the harsh fluorescent lights of the store hit his hair. He was impossible not to notice, not to like.

Cassian sighs, rubbing his temples where a headache is starting to form. _It’s not like it would ever work out anyway,_ he thinks, before forcing himself to focus on anything else. He stares at the computer, reading over a spreadsheet of the days sales, hoping Jyn will at least have the courtesy to count up her till quickly. 

As if summoned, Jyn appears at his desk, leaning against it and looking smug. He braces himself for her teasing.

“So...I saw you talking to Luke,” she says, cutting to the chase without preamble.

“Thanks to your ‘mistake’” Cassian says, too tired to conceal his annoyance. “You’re lucky he came back, it would have come out of your pay you know.”

“Golden boy Skywalker keep money that isn’t his? It would never happen.”

“Yeah, well, you know him. Good job. If your register is all set now, you can go home.” Cassian’s not in the mood to humor her after the disastrous interaction, unwilling to pretend. He presses print on the receipts for the day, trying to will her away with his mind.

“What happened?” Jyn asks, dropping the teasing tone entirely. Her concerned gaze only making him feel worse.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” 

“I was just trying to help, honestly, you two-” Jyn starts but Cassian interrupts quietly, unable to keep the exhaustion from his voice.

“Leave it. Just go lock up. Please, Jyn.” 

She sighs, “Alright, then. I’m almost certain you’re being an idiot though.”

Cassian doesn’t have the energy to argue and yet his words come out terse. “Sure, Jyn. I’ll keep that in mind. Goodnight.”

Jyn considers him a moment longer, clearly unhappy with the lack of answers, but doesn’t push. She clocks out without another word and Bodhi finishes up earlier than expected, leaving Cassian to finally close up. He gathers his things and goes, flicking on the radio once he’s in his truck, just for the company of the sound.

He starts the engine up and resolves not to feel sorry for himself, more than ready to go home and sleep away the embarrassment.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is very silly, has been in my drafts forever, and yet...I have a sequel half written.


End file.
